LAS CRUCES&GT;&GT; The traditions the village celebrates are ancient, and a family of nine sisters are dedicated to perpetuating a cultural and spiritual legacy begun by their grandfather.

On Sunday, the community is invited to celebrate the 100th anniversary of sacred dances brought to the village of Tortugas in 1914 by Juan Pacheco.

"He was my grandfather, the chief, and from one of the two major Indian groups there descended from the Aztecs. He brought the Azteca Chichimeca Danzantes to the pueblo," said Yolanda Jaramillo.

"He first started dancing on the lower south side of Mesilla Park. Our ancestors came from Mexico, and settled in Tortugas in 1914, and have been dancing there since then. When my grandfather died, my father, Leonard Pacheco, carried on. My brother, Leo Martin, also danced. He died. Before my father passed on four years ago, he made me promise that my sisters and I would continue the traditions of our culture."

It has not always been easy for women to perpetuate what was seen as a male role, she said.

"Society does not accept a woman to take a role of leadership, even in this time, but my father said, 'You, my daughters, will carry on,' and it was something we have to do, though it was hard then and still is," Jaramillo said.

Advertisement

The dancing can also be difficult on a physical level, she said, but four generations of her family in New Mexico have never flinched at the challenges.

Pauline Rodriquez is among sisters who are carrying on Azteca Chichimeca dance traditions in honor of their grandfather, Juan Pacheco, who began dancing at Tortugas Pueblo in 1914. (Steve MAcIntyre FILE PHOTO — For the Sun-News)

"It wasn't like I went into this. I was born into this like the rest of my siblings. It never ended. It was year-round. We have joined with the corporation [La Corporacion de los Indigenes de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, more commonly known as Tortugas Pueblo], which was founded in 1914, and we join in special celebrations, for Our Lady of Guadalupe festival and pilgrimage, always held on Dec. 10, 11 and 12. We dance for a special celebration honoring Juan Diego, the village patron saint, on Dec. 9," said Jaramillo, who referred to dancing as "a treat on Dec. 9, because we only dance for a couple of hours. On the 11th, we dance half a day and on the 12th, we can be dancing for 12 to 14 hours, depending on the weather.

"We are sometimes known as the Guadalupe Aztecas," she said.

They wear images of Our Lady of Guadalupe on their costumes, which all the sisters work to create and maintain.

"The costume originated from grandfather. There is the nauwia — that is our skirts — and we do our own headdresses and original Guadalupe images all over our costumes. During Our Lady of Guadalupe festival in December, people will see us dancing on the north end of right side of the church."

The sisters hope the 100th anniversary celebration will help inspire new generations to carry on their traditions.

"We are trying to get our children and grandchildren more involved. The younger generation see things a little differently. Everybody takes their own path in their own way. But we are not getting any younger," said Jaramillo, noting that her sisters now range in age from 43 to 67.

On Sunday, the 100th anniversary celebration will begin with a Mass celebrated at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine and Parish, 3600 Parroquia St., in Tortugas Pueblo (access via Stern Drive or Tortugas Drive).

"We will start dancing about 11:30 a.m. and we will have an inviting circle, inviting the public to join with us at 11:45 a.m. and then we will do steps of dancing over for a reception at about 1 p.m.," Jaramillo said.

The sisters are all pleased have a chance to recognize and honor their legacy.

"To be part of this makes me very proud, that we are doing this and that it has taken 100 years to arrive to honor my grandfather and father. And I've very proud for being who I am," said Pauline Pachecho Rodriguez, who remembers her first dances at age 5.

"Like my sister was saying, we were born into this and meant to do this. Being a two-time breast cancer survivor, I really think that spiritually, this has brought me all this way. I went on the pilgrimage, I got an operation and three months later, I was dancing. When we dance, I feel a connection with God and also with my ancestors," Rodriguez said.

Of the dancing sisters, "three of us have had cancer and three of us have survived. All of us have had a lot of obstacles in our lives and our faith has kept us going," Jaramillo said.

Tortugas centennial celebrations are continuing throughout 2014, said David Fierro, spokesman for La Corporacion de los Indigenes de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. A celebration was held on April 26, as close to the actual date of the incorporation of the pueblo as possible, which was April 12, 1914. The dancers danced at the church and had a dinner open to the general public.

"In 1914, the pueblo was given 10 acres to allow our elders to continue the customs and traditions of our ancestors. This area was known as Guadalupe. It abutted the area known as San Juan. Later, the area became known as Tortugas," said Fierro. "One of the first actions of the newly established corporation was the donation of land for the building of a church. It was given to the Diocese of Tucson. The two villages of Guadalupe and San Juan joined in the effort to build the church, which is now the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The leader of the pueblo who was instrumental in obtaining the land grant and getting incorporated was Col. Eugene Van Patten."

Special centennial celebrations are also planned at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine and Parish on Oct. 25 and during the pueblo's annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Festival Dec. 10, 11, and 12.